Project description DEENESFRITPL Theory and practice together advanced the development of enlightened values Investigating the roots of European values such as egalitarianism and democracy can contribute to popular and scholarly debates on these topics in a constructive way and help counter threats to basic human rights. It is against this background that the EU-funded EuWoRD project considers the historical relationship between religion and ideas of modernity. Aiming to advance understanding of laypersons’ contributions to the development of the Enlightenment, it addresses in particular the history of a religious minority in 17th century Europe, the Dutch Collegiant movement. The specific goal is to reveal how the practice of enlightened concepts and the participation of women in free-discussion meetings co-created the development of enlightened values. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective At a time when fundamentalisms and populisms threaten basic human rights, it is extremely important to investigate the roots of European values such as egalitarianism and democracy, in order to contribute to popular and scholarly debates on these subjects in an informed way. Addressing the historical relationship between religion and ideas of modernity, the EuWoRD project aims to provide a better understanding of laypersons’ contribution (women and men) to the development of the Enlightenment, when democratic concepts gradually emerged as basic rights. It addresses particularly the history of a religious minority in seventeenth-century Europe, the Dutch Collegiant movement, and pursues a specific goal: to reveal how the practice of enlightened concepts and the participation of women in free-discussion meetings co-created the development of enlightened values. The theory did not cause the practice: both were mutually implicated in development. To pursue this goal, the EuWoRD project blends the methodologies of social history, gender history, history of ideas and political philosophy, and has two objectives: 1) an updated account of the Collegiants’ practices, the presence of women among their ranks, and their European network, regarding their meetings as interconfessional free associations that fostered the birth of an early public sphere; 2) an examination of the interrelations between the Collegiants’ practices and the concepts they advocated, focusing on their debates on gender equality and women’s right to free speech, and revealing how these debates were related to similar ones throughout Europe. Due to its originality and interdisciplinarity, the EuWoRD project will have a major impact on several fields of study, as well as on the general public. Indeed, research outcomes will be disseminated through academic (e.g. a digital map of the Collegiants’ network and two scholarly articles) and public (e.g. a Twitter account and blog entries) activities. Fields of science social sciencespolitical sciencesgovernment systemsdemocracysocial sciencessociologygender studiesgender equality Programme(s) HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme Topic(s) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 Call for proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-AG-UN - HORIZON Unit Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN Net EU contribution € 199 694,40 Address Belfield 4 Dublin Ireland See on map Region Ireland Eastern and Midland Dublin Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
